Work related Activity Group

[Carnation]

Has anyone had/have experience of 'Work Related Activity Group'?

I had my assessment a couple of weeks ago and they were quite satisfied that I was unfit to work, but now they have sent me a letter stating that they reviewed my notes and want me to attend a 'Work Related Activity Group'.
I find this very puzzling as my main problems are; travelling; especially to strange places and have to have my partner with me to do so, trust issues, which would obviously apply to strangers, being in a strange area that is out of comfort zone and being abandoned in that area.
Social problems which all result in Panic Attacks, crying obsessively and running away.
They told me that if I do not attend this program that they would 'cut me off' any Benefits that I am receiving.

Can someone tell me anything about this Program and any other information that could help me please?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Carnation,

This board seems dead in the water at the moment but hopefully someone will answer you.

Bascially they have decided that you are not ready for work right now but can work towards getting there hence this group. The other one is for those who are considered unable to do so.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/be...he-esa-groups/

I haven't signed on for many years so I only know what I've read or heard about it from others but the CAB website is excellent for all of this.

Yes, if you don't do what they say, they will "sanction" you to stop paying you. Be careful around the rules with these people as they are "sanction trigger happy" as many a news article has shown. Any possible excuse and they try it on.

You can ask for a reconsideration if you think you should be in the other group.

[Carnation]

Thanks Terry. As you can imagine, I am dreading it. I am already at my maximum stress levels with our situation at home and the aftermath of my Mother's fall.
This could now push me over the edge.

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Carnation

I am in the same situation as you right now. But I also have 3 chronic physical health problems along with the anxiety/panic disorder/agoraphobia.

Your letter should have stated that you can appeal, but you only have 4 weeks after the letter was dated.

I have appealed and think I should be in the support group but until then I have had to go to one of these 'work-related' things and I was in tears most of the time tbh!! I have to go again in a month! It's all been too much for me and my health has taken a turn for the worse.

But this is about you. Grab the letter again and see if you can still appeal. Call them and tell them that you are housebound/agoraphobic and that you are appealing against being put in this group.....see if you still have to go in.

It's all about eventually getting you back to work, by sending you on work experience....it's all a joke really but I ain't laughing!! Work experience..............I worked in an office for 33 years I bet I could tell them a thing or two, don't you? Dear God save me from this hell hole of a country!!! Sorry that's not helping you.

Don't give in to them, that's what they want. If you feel that you couldn't possibly do anything at the moment, go to your doctor and tell him/her what's happening, see if he/she can do anything. That's all I can tell you for now.

Good luck, let me know how you get on.

[Carnation]

Thank you sooo much xBettyBoopx. x

You could not have posted this at a better time. Thank you for taking the time to share and advise, especially with your own personnel circumstances.

Today, I am having a really bad day. I have had my Mum with me for 2 weeks following a bad fall she had in her home. It has been hard going for me, as we don't get on and I have had to tend to her wounds as well. My Mother has taken over the house and there is no where for me to hide. My mother-n-Law has also had a nasty accident resulting in medical attention, so on top of my Anxiety and Panic Attacks, I really can't cope.

I have got to the point where I just want lie down forever; if you know what I mean.
But, I can't ands my partner is due for a Cancer Op too in January. Is there no end to it all?

I am really annoyed with their decision when I know of people 'milking' the system.
And you know what? I think I will write them a letter. I just can't do it.
Like you said. You were in tears. That is how I will be. I am in tears most days anyway. Don't they realise that more stress and pressure makes us worse?

And yes, you are right. I have been in Managerial work for most of my life and that has probably added to pressures of life. I am not lazy, but when you are ill, you are ill. That's what annoys me about having Anxiety, because they can't see it or understand it, they brush it aside.

BettyBoop, do you still have to go to the other appointment, even though your health has worsened? I do hope it is not too serious.

Anyway, now I am wittering on, but once again thank you, I needed that advice. x

[xBettyBoopx]

Sorry for the late reply Carnation

You have so much to deal with at the moment, it seems like they'll never be any peace and that you'll never get through it, but you will, you are stronger than you think because if you were weak you would have gone by now! Thatt doesn't alter the fact that they stupid people are adding to our 'woes'!!

Yes I have to go back next month!! Unless I have heard from the appeal and they have put me in the other group which I doubt will happen. I'm not sure what's going to happen to me tbh, I try not to think about it. Since coming back from that 'meeting' Thursday of last week I have spent almost all the time in bed, it has really depressed me, I keep wondering what's going to happen to me

Have you written to them yet? I hope you have, at least you would have tried. Let me know how you are getting on

Elspeth
xxxx

Thank you sooo much xBettyBoopx. x

You could not have posted this at a better time. Thank you for taking the time to share and advise, especially with your own personnel circumstances.

Today, I am having a really bad day. I have had my Mum with me for 2 weeks following a bad fall she had in her home. It has been hard going for me, as we don't get on and I have had to tend to her wounds as well. My Mother has taken over the house and there is no where for me to hide. My mother-n-Law has also had a nasty accident resulting in medical attention, so on top of my Anxiety and Panic Attacks, I really can't cope.

I have got to the point where I just want lie down forever; if you know what I mean.
But, I can't ands my partner is due for a Cancer Op too in January. Is there no end to it all?

I am really annoyed with their decision when I know of people 'milking' the system.
And you know what? I think I will write them a letter. I just can't do it.
Like you said. You were in tears. That is how I will be. I am in tears most days anyway. Don't they realise that more stress and pressure makes us worse?

And yes, you are right. I have been in Managerial work for most of my life and that has probably added to pressures of life. I am not lazy, but when you are ill, you are ill. That's what annoys me about having Anxiety, because they can't see it or understand it, they brush it aside.

BettyBoop, do you still have to go to the other appointment, even though your health has worsened? I do hope it is not too serious.

Anyway, now I am wittering on, but once again thank you, I needed that advice. x

[Carnation]

Hi are you BettyBoop? I have done my letter, so it's in the hands of the Gods now.

I hope you get a result with your appeal.

[Doze]

I was put in the WRAG a year ago. My experience has been universally negative so I will warn you that you may not want to read to the end if you are worried. I will tell you that if you truly believe you can not work, or handle 2 years of group classes and gentle but constant pressure to be finding work, fight to get put in the support group. You can get legal help of some kind to aid you in the process.
There are some people who may benefit from these programs. One guy I met on it was coming out of a depression and had done well on a volunteer gardening program they'd set up. You need to be in a strong enough position to cope with what they'll expect from you, which is basically returning to work. Sadly I was not.

I've been unable to work due to ME and anxiety for over a decade. I can't even do basic day to day things for myself because my energy is so low, supporting myself finacially is an impossibility.
At first I appealed against being put on WRAG, but I was given reassurances that my health condition would be taken into consideration, and whilst talking to a Decision Maker at the DfWP he opened by informing me that he had already been generous with his marking of my claim and that if I asked for a reassessment it could turn out worse. I shouldn't have been talked out the appeal but I was.

So I went along with the program trying to convince myself that maybe it could do me some good. But 6 months in it had all got too much for me after having my benefits sanctioned for not calling in sick quick enough, the whole thing has just caused constant stress. Often a fairly mild stress, that you try and convince yourself can handle, but the type that builds and builds and eventually catches up on you. So I demanded to be reassessed because it has got too much, but it takes months for a reassessment to happen, I've been waiting another 6 months and still nothing. Now, unfortunately, it's too late as it's got to the point where I've had a breakdown. So yeah, as you can imagine, I'm pretty jaded about the work program right now.

The program consists of regular meetings with an adviser and these stupid weekly courses they make you take, which always exhausted me, which had the knock-on effect of causing greater stress. They'll demand you to jump through various hoops all in the name of you "returning to full time employment", something that was a complete impossibility for me. But the companies that run the program get paid for every applicant they get into employment, so there is a gentle but constant pressure put on you by them to find some form of paid work, even though they'll acknowledge that you can't work. Maddening

The program lasts 2 years. I'm only half way through and expected to still be taking part. I had the incredibly uncomfortable experience of having to ring up my adviser to inform him that I wasn't coming in today as I going through a breakdown and suffering from severe depression. His response was disappointment that I wouldn't be able to complete the current course of dumb classes - where they teach you vitally important stuff like, the difference between verbal and non verbal communication, or sugar coating your CV to explain your absence from the work force due to health issues. There I was having to humbly explain to this relative stranger that I'm struggling to get through the day without acting on wanting to kill myself and he can't even scrape up the compassion to look beyond his work mindset. He eventually accepted that I wasn't going to be coming in and said I should seek help from my GP, which I already informed him I was, but this wasn't compassion but because I would need to get a note from them to temporarily excuse me from the work program. He even demanded that I go that day to the GP, then bring him the note asap. Something that even on a good day I would struggle with, but even after being there a year he still can't comprehend the extent my ME limits me, why would he understand the addition of a major depression to that. I told him it wasn't going to happen, because it's tough enough to get an immediate appointment with your GP. But considering my condition, why would he expect me to be driving around town just to get a meaningless note for him to file away. Such an unbelievable jobsworth.

I can't say, 100% being on the program caused my breakdown, because like I said it's a subtle but constant stress that's caught up with me, and there have been other factors involved. But it certainly has contributed. And is sadly continuing to contribute as it seems there is no way off the bloody thing.

---------- Post added at 10:26 ---------- Previous post was at 08:58 ----------

Just to try and add something a little positive.

If you do end up on it, maybe try getting a friend or relative to give you a fake part time job or volunteer position with a view to a permanent placement. If you can convince them that you are doing something work-related that's moving in the direction of employment they may leave you alone more, at least not send you on these waste of time courses.

[Carnation]

Thank you for replying Doze and taking the time to do so considering your own personnel position.
I was not at all surprised by anything you have said and I can truly understand how debilitating it has been for you to go through all that you have.
I do think a breakdown is a collection of things that contribute to it, but sometimes there is a main factor.
I DID have my breakdown nearly 2 years ago and it is not a pretty place to be in and if you have been unfortunate to have experienced a breakdown, it is not a place you want to return to.
Are you having any Therapy sessions to help you? They can be of some help and are not judgmental or compulsive.
Once again I thank you for your advise and experience on this matter and I hope you yourself find some light at the end of the tunnel.

[Doze]

Hi Carnation. I was feeling brighter this morning but I've gotten a lot worse since unfortunately.

To answer your question, I recently had a few sessions of CBT, they only offer 6 sessions in my local area, but it was more like 4 after all the explaining. I had a pretty major triggering event right before my final session, but was offered no extra help. My GP put me on an emergency list for further help but I don't know how much it'll help me right now My anxiety is SO severe right now.